Clear as Crystal
by Dark Qiviut
Summary: Mimi and Kari started having a crush on each other, but things could become complicated because they're both afraid to admit it to each other. *Mimari, Ch. 3 up*
1. Evening Conversation

_**Disclaimer:** Digimon: Digital Monsters is copyrighted by Akiyoshi Hongo and produced by Toei Animation, Saban, and TOKYOPOP. The plot is the only thing made by me, and no profit is or will be made in any way.

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**Author's Note:** This is my first stab at a Mimi/Kari fanfic. I've yet to seen one on here, so I decided to give it a try. This was supposed to be a one-shot, but I decided to split it into two to three parts.  
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_There will be words of caution, too. The Digimon will be in the fanfic, but you'll have to guess as to why they're there, for the explanation will **not** be involved in this fanfic (please, don't speculate in a review, though). This story is also considered an Alternate Timeline: Everything after "A Fate of Two Worlds" is omitted, and it focuses on the Digimon Adventure 01 characters **only.**  
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_**Warnings:** This is rated T for shoujo-ai romance (girl/girl love) and mild out-of-character behavior.  
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**Clear As Crystal**

**Evening Conversation**

Evening at Odaiba could not look or feel marvelous than what it was right now. Shades of gold, orange, and violet swirled the sunset sky, the sun beaming onto the ground. Dark feathery clouds hung in the upper part of the atmosphere, becoming nothing more than light streaks. The water gleamed brightly, reflecting the marvelous colors radiantly.

It was definitely the perfect opportunity to do some fun, especially for some of the DigiDestined. Adjacent to an Odaiba lake was a soccer pitch. Green grass sparkled in the sunset, and a soccer net was placed on each end of the field. On one side, several park benches sat side by side near the water. On the other side, there was a stretch of green grass with a tree-covered hill only a few feet away from the pitch. Finally, a stone stairwell sat in the middle of the hill, perpendicular to the centerline of the pitch.

However, only one end was used; not everyone participated in the party. T.K., Patamon, Izzy, Tentomon, Matt, Gabumon, Joe, and Gomamon were too busy.

On the soccer pitch, sixteen-year-old, five-foot-ten-inch Tai Kamiya (in white shirt, shorts, and shoes) and Agumon were guarding the used net. Thirteen-year-old, four-foot-seven-inch Kari Kamiya (in the same color clothing as Tai's and had a crimson hairpin on the left side of her forehead); Gatomon; and sixteen-year-old, five-foot-nine-inch Sora Takenouchi (in the same uniform as both Kari's and Tai's) were competing against the Child of Courage and his partner.

It was Sora's turn to use the penalty kick on Tai. Sora and Tai had looks of determination, each of their expressions saying that they were to beat them, so to speak.

Once the ball was placed on the penalty spot, the Takenouchi child backed up two steps. Then, with a strong swing with her right foot, she punted the ball towards the upper left-hand corner of the goal.

Tai, with a grunt, dived to block the ball, but it zoomed above his left hand, and it hit the back of the net.

"Aw, nuts!" grumbled Tai and softly punched the grass with his right fist.

"Nice shot, Sora," complimented Biyomon as she flew from a tree nearby to congratulate her partner.

"It was nothing," smiled Sora as she put her left hand behind her head.

"But it was still a good kick nonetheless," said Kari as she and Gatomon walked from the centerline to the Child of Love. "You should try to compete in the top leagues one day."

"Thanks," blushed Sora and chuckled embarrassingly.

"Welcome," said Kari and retrieved the soccer ball moments later. After touching the sphere, she gave Tai a sharp, determined gaze. "Now, it's _my_ turn!"

Tai smiled at Kari's challenge. "Agumon, you better move away and join Mimi and Palmon at the bench," he suggested to his partner on his left. "Things could get a little ugly."

Agumon wondered what Tai was talking about, but he decided to do what he was told and walked left toward the park benches.

"You, too, Gatomon," added Kari to her Digimon partner.

The cat obliged without thinking about it and joined Agumon.

On the other side of the field, five-foot-one-inch Mimi Tachikawa sat on a park bench near the goal that Tai, Kari, and Sora occupied. Her brown hair was still as slick as it was in her younger years, but it now reached past her shoulders. As for her clothing, she wore a red t-shirt with sleeves that reached halfway down the upper arms, a white skirt that reaches to her knees, white knee-high socks, and white strapped sandles.

In her hands was a little hoop, and a layer of white fabric was stretched along the top. Her left hand was holding the hoop, and her right hand was holding a sewing needle.

"Hey, Mimi!" called Agumon as he trotted up to the Tachikawa child.

Mimi laid her needle on the fabric and raised her head. "Seems like Tai decided to give you a little break," she said sweetly.

"You can say that," chipped in Gatomon as she hopped onto the bench. Before she could explain, however, she turned her attention to the sewing hoop that sat on Mimi's lap. "What's that you're using?" she asked, pointing at it with her right claw.

"It's a embroidery hoop," replied Palmon on Mimi's right. She was holding a closed bottle of mineral water in her left hand.

"Embroidery hoop?" puzzled Gatomon.

Mimi nodded with a hum and explained. "When I sew fabric, it can sometimes be a hassle to do a large piece of fabric at once, so I utilize this embroidery hoop to concentrate on one specific area while sewing."

"I see," said Gatomon while letting her eyes examine the embroidery hoop.

"What are you planning to make?" asked Agumon as he perched himself onto the park bench.

"I've just started making it," said Mimi and showed them what she had designed thus far. There was a small diagonal line on the right side of the fabric. "Besides," she added, "it'll be a surprise."

"I see," said Gatomon and looked down at the bench. For some reason, she wanted to do something other than chase a ball of yarn in Kari's room. "You think I can sew, too?"

"Of course," smiled Mimi. "If you ever want me to tutor you, I'll be more than happy."

Their conversation, however, quickly ended…

_**BAM!**_

…Because Kari kicked the ball with brute force.

Due to her kicking it hard, the soccer ball literally zoomed right at Tai's head. As for the Child of Courage himself, because it was aiming for his head, he did the unthinkable when it came to being a soccer goalkeeper. He ducked out of the way by crashing his body into the ground, and the soccer ball plopped softly into the back of the net.

Kari cheered wildly and flashed a "V" symbol with her right hand. "Now _that's_ what I'm talking about!" she cheered.

Tai pulled himself up to his feet and grabbed the soccer ball that sat on the ground. "You can say that again," he sheepishly said to himself.

Gatomon saw what happened and raced over to congratulate the Child of Light. "You have one strong kick, Kari," said the feline Digimon.

"I practice," said Kari modestly and picked up her partner.

Sora and Biyomon, who were watching the penalty kick from the centerline, walked back towards Kari.

"Nonetheless, you made a very good kick," said Biyomon.

Kari turned around and blushed lightly from the compliment. "Maybe," she said with her right hand behind her back. Then, when she turned around, she added with a giggle, "And it seems that I was the first to make my brother duck away from the ball, too."

Tai heard that and walked over to her, with Agumon joining him. "I know, I know. You got me this time," the Child of Courage admitted with a serious look on his face, "but _next time,"_ he added with a determined smile, "I _will_ block that kick."

"We'll see about that, big brother," swore Kari with a determined, but sweet, gaze; and the two proceeded to walk to the stairwell.

As for Mimi, she put her sewing equipment into a white shopping bag that sat under the bench, and she and Palmon walked over to Sora.

"For siblings, both Kari and Tai can be very competitive against each other," observed Mimi.

"No kidding," agreed Sora while looking down. "And, coincidentally, it was Tai that coaxed Kari to return to playing soccer in the first place."

"Understood," replied Mimi and stared at Kari, who was following Tai up the stairwell. Then, as she stared at Kari's retreating figure, her cheeks started glowing pink.

"Mimi?" called Sora while tapping on Mimi's left shoulder.

"Hmm?" Mimi jolted her head towards Sora on her left. Her blush had yet to dissolve. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"Riiight," teased Sora. "C'mon, let's go." With that, she started walking towards the stairwell.

Mimi obliged and followed her, although her blush never really went away until halfway during their walk towards Sora's house.

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The living room of the Takenouchi apartment was quite large, but average as most buildings. The middle of the room consisted a polished, one-legged circular table. The tabletop was made out of fine wood, and it was about 14 inches in diameter. Four chairs encircled the table, one that included a booster seat (for Biyomon). 

The back of the room had a wall-to-wall couch. The cushions were white, covered with various flower designs. Windows were placed above them, allowing the family to look at the outside world.

Opposite the windows, and to the left side of the living room, a hallway stretched past the kitchen (that sat on the right side of the hall), and there were two bedroom doors opposite it. The door to the washroom was perpendicular to the door near the end of the hallway. Finally, the main door was at the very end of the hall, but it was blanketed by darkness.

Mr. And Mrs. Takenouchi were not at the house when the four arrived at the Takenouchi apartment, and they were not going to be back until the following evening. As a result, Sora was in charge of the flower shop, and she was more than grateful of "taking care of her other babies," as what Mrs. Takenouchi once said.

In other words, Sora, Mimi, and their Digimon companions had the apartment for themselves.

"We're here," said Sora after she unlocked the main door and pushed it open.

The light went on, and Sora went inside, Mimi and the Digimon following her.

"Finally," sighed Mimi as they all walked into the living room. "It's pretty exhausting walking for about one-and-a-half miles from the soccer pitch."

"Considering you like to get lost in a mall at times, Mimi, it's a bit surprising," teased Sora as she put her bag down on the couch.

Mimi rolled her eyes and proceeded to put her bags down on the couch, too. Sora then went to the kitchen to make some tea for Mimi, before fetching some soup for Biyomon and spring water for Palmon. The Child of Love herself also prepared herself a small bowl of leftover rice that that she and her family made the day before.

"Here you go," said Sora as she handed Mimi her a brown tea cup with a matching tea plate.

"Thanks, Sora," said Mimi and received her offering.

The Child of Love then gave the soup and water to Biyomon and Palmon, respectively, before putting down her bowl of rice and started eating.

Everything then went quiet during their meeting at the table. The atmosphere was strange, since the four usually loved to gossip, and would talk about many things. Such examples were any school relations (like tests, classes, and painstaking homework), family, and any fun activities that they either did or _planned_ to do.

However, a conversation would soon spark after Sora noticed Mimi staring at her tea. "What's wrong, Mimi?" she wondered.

"Hmm?" Mimi hummed and looked up. "Just a couple of things."

"What do you mean?" asked Sora and took a small bite of rice.

Mimi drank some of her tea before explaining. "Well, I've been thinking about the design for my sewing project."

Biyomon heard her and finished swallowing the miso soup that was still in her beak. "Oh, so you're sewing now. I didn't know that."

"She's been doing that for a while now," explained Palmon after putting down her water bottle.

"She has?" queried Biyomon.

"That's right," replied Mimi with a hum, her hair falling in front of her while nodding her head. "Just like cooking, Mama is a professional in sewing, and about four months ago, she decided to ask me if I could try sewing. At first, I was reluctant, but decided to follow through and join a private class."

"Was it difficult for you when you started?" asked Sora with interest.

"Don't ask," snorted Mimi and drank a little more of her tea. "The first time I tried sewing, I was pricked on the hand by the needle more times than being run over by overzealous people at the mall."

Sora and the Digimon chuckled at the joke; they had to wonder when Mimi's favorite "M" word would pop up in the conversation. And when it came to the Child of Sincerity, it was bound to be said sooner rather than later.

"After the first couple of times, I thought about giving up, but my teacher encouraged me and said that it takes time to sew well. In addition, I do not like to consider myself a quitter, so I decided to continue practicing. Although I still consider myself a rookie when it comes to sewing, my tutor did say that she was impressed and that she believes that I can do well in the future."

"Oh, congratulations," said Sora with a smile.

"It's nothing, really," said Mimi dismissively and drank a little more of her tea.

After eating a small bite of her rice, Sora looked at the Tachikawa child again. This time, her expression showed minute confusion. "But I wonder why you haven't told us about it earlier to begin with."

Mimi put her cup down softly on the tea plate. "Well, I want to make something for my friends, but I wanted to keep the project a surprise, so I kept it hidden."

"I see," replied Sora and ate some more of her rice, but not without having some thought about it. _"Mimi's keeping a secret,"_ she thought coyly. _"There is a first time for everything after all."_

Afterwards, she ate more of her rice as she ended her thoughts about Mimi's sewing. However, as she was eating, she had more thoughts, and they made her curious. She had an assumption as to _why_ she acted this way, but it was faint, and she was doubtful. Maybe, it was best to ask. No, maybe not. It might be a bit too private for her own good… But how could that be? Keeping things secretive was not in her nature, and she _knew_ it! She would always tell it like it is. Well… from her perspective, that is. But, should she actually go through with her query? Maybe, she will. Maybe, she won't…

Well, after some doubt as to whether or not Sora would query or not, she decided to go through with her curiosity and ask Mimi some questions.

"Mimi, I like to ask you something," said Sora after putting down her bowl of rice, which she just finished.

The Child of Sincerity had finished her tea and put her teacup down on the plate. "Of course you can. Ask away."

Sora's interrogation commenced. "Back at the soccer field, when I noticed that you looked up, you blushed," she inquired. "Is there something up?"

"Hmm?" Mimi wondered with a hum before shaking her head dismissively. "Nah, nothing's happening," she replied.

"Are you sure?" enquired Sora, this time, a little teasingly.

"Yes, I'm sure," replied Mimi and looked down. When she did that, a red tint on her cheeks reappeared.

Sora recognized that blush right away. "I hope so," she said coyly, "because I'm more than certain that you have another secret to tell."

"No, I don't," said Mimi stubbornly and shook her head, but she did not raise her head.

Sora shook her own head, too, her smile still etched on her face. "I'm not buying it. I _know_ you have something to tell me: Your posture shows it."

Mimi kept her head down and said nothing, and that was enough evidence for Sora to recognize her friend's out-of-character nature.

"I knew it. I knew you had one," said Sora persistently. "C'mon, tell me."

Mimi kept her head down, but she mumbled something under her breath.

Sora was confused. "Excuse me?"

Mimi mumbled again, this time, a little bit louder.

Feeling something was up, Palmon closed her water bottle, jumped down from her chair, and walked to Biyomon, who had already finished eating. "I think we should leave them alone right now," the plant Digimon mouthed.

Biyomon had a feeling what Palmon was talking about and climbed down her chair. The two then walked to Sora's bedroom, where the two humans would talk alone.

"You can't hide it anymore, Mimi," said Sora persistently. "I know something's up. And from the blush, you have a crush on somebody."

Suddenly, the tint from Mimi's cheeks became redder.

Sora knew she hit the secret right on the spot. "I knew it! You have a crush on someone."

Mimi put her head down even more, allowing her hair to fall in front of her.

"You can't hide it anymore, Mimi," teased Sora. "I know you fancy someone. So, why be secretive? It's not in your character; you usually tell something and not be afraid to do so. So, why is this the same thing?"

Mimi finally had enough of Sora's nagging and showed it. "Alright! Alright! You win!" she exclaimed and raised her head. "Yes, I have a crush on someone."

Sora smiled; she got the truth from Mimi, but now, she had to figure out whom. "Then, who's the person you have a crush?" she asked, this time, not in a teasing matter.

Mimi sighed and toyed with the rim of her tea plate with her left hand. "Kari," she said, but in a very low murmur.

"Excuse me?" asked Sora, not being able to hear what her friend said.

"I have a crush on Kari, Sora," said Mimi, her admission very clear to Sora's perspective.

The Child of Love sighed as she noticed Mimi putting her head down again. "I see," she said, but with a sad look on her face. "From the tone, it sounded like you're not happy. Why is that?"

Mimi looked at her friend while continuing to play with the tea plate absentmindedly. "It's not that I'm unhappy, I'm just… confused. When I wanted to grow up and have a family, I would want to be a wife of a nice man. I would never have guessed that I would have fancied another _woman."_ She sighed exasperatedly. "Not only that, but also another close friend of mine."

"Oh," said Sora melancholily and put her right hand on her chin. "How long have you had that crush?"

Mimi stopped playing with the plate and placed her hands on her thighs. "About a few months ago. While I was sleeping, I had a weird dream about Kari and me at an American-style wedding; and we kissed at the end of the ceremony. When I shot myself up, I thought I acted psychotic, but whenever I came across Kari on the street, I start blushing." The moment she said that, the red tint that vanished during the beginning of her explanation slowly returned as the cheeks became pink. "And I'm pretty worried, too."

Sora had a feeling with the last sentence the Tachikawa child said. There was no explanation, although she wanted to be sure. "So, you're worried that Kari will not like you back or will stay away from you because you like other girls, right?"

Mimi nodded.

Sora stood up and walked towards Mimi, where she put her left hand on Mimi's right shoulder. "That's okay for you to feel this awkwardness. Many people sense it, and it makes _them_ uncomfortable, too. So, you're not out of the norm when it comes to having crushes."

A sigh escaped her. "I see what you mean, Sora," replied Mimi as she looked into her own reflection on the cup's structure, "but is there anything wrong with me being a lesbian?"

Sora shook her head with a sympathetic smile. "There's _nothing_ wrong with being a lesbian," she replied. "If you like girls, perfectly fine. I'm your friend; I'm not gonna end it because of this."

Mimi's solemn face became bright as she sported a small smile. "Thanks, Sora," she said while looking at her, but she then turned back to her empty cup with a solemn look on her face, "but what happens if Kari doesn't return her feelings?"

"I think she will, Mimi," Sora said. "Besides, she's your friend. I don't think she'll end a relationship because of that. We all faced more complicated problems than this, right?"

Mimi sighed and briefly thought about what Sora said. _"She's right. We've faced many things in the past. This is nothing like we faced in the Digital World… I think."_ She blinked once and looked up. "You're right, Sora," she said, feeling a bit more like her cheerful self. "I don't think my friendship with Kari will end because of this."

Sora smiled and went back to her chair.

"But…" Mimi added slowly.

"Excuse me?" Sora asked as she picked up her empty bowl.

"…When do I have to tell her that I have a crush on her?"

Sora shrugged with a smile as she picked up Mimi's plate and cup. "Whenever you're ready. If you're scared, give it time. If there's one thing you should never do, it's rush. Let it take its course." And she picked up the rest of the dishware and walked to the kitchen, leaving Mimi to think about things.

_**To be continued…

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**Did you like it? If you did, read ad review to tell me your thoughts. No flames, please, and I'll see you next time._


	2. A Present Wanted

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Digimon: Digital Monsters __is copyrighted by Akiyoshi Hongo and produced by Toei Animation, Saban, and TOKYOPOP. The plot is the only thing made by me, and no profit is or will be made in any way.

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**Clear As Crystal**

**A Present Wanted**

While Mimi, Sora, and their Digimon headed toward the Takenouchi Residence, Kari, Tai, and their own Digimon partners walked the opposite direction toward their own home. Their house was much closer than Sora's, about three-quarters of a mile closer, to be exact.

They were both currently walking along tin the middle of the Odaiba district. The streets and sidewalks were not as crowded, making the walk tranquil. And the street lamps had turned on because of lack of sunlight (from _their_ perspective, mostly). Then again, neither the Kamiyas nor the Digimon could care less, especially since they felt all warmed up after playing at the soccer field today.

But if there was only one thing that could distract them…

"When can we eat, Tai?"

…It was the growling of a bottomless pit. Preferably, it was _Agumon's_ bottomless pit.

"We'll eat when we arrive, Agumon," replied Tai with a smile.

"I hope so," said Agumon and looked at his stomach, "because I'm getting pretty hungry."

"Don't worry, Agumon," replied Kari, who was walking a few feet in front of them. She was twirling the soccer ball with her right hand and was holding Gatomon with the other. "When we get home, you'll get quite a filling dish. Preferably sushi, pasta, and some other things if you want."

Agumon smiled, and nothing more was said until they arrived at their residence about fifteen minutes later.

"We're home!" called Kari as she opened the door to their apartment.

"Hi, Kari!" answered Yuuko's voice from the kitchen.

"Where's Dad?" asked Tai as he and Agumon walked down the hall and into the living room.

"He's on his way home," replied Yuuko's cheery voice. "He should be back soon."

"Thanks," said Tai and went to the bathroom to wash up.

As he did so, Agumon sat on the couch at the kitchen-side of the living room and sniffed longingly. "Something surely smells good," he said with a smile and licked his lips… if he had any.

"It's quite a good dish, Agumon," said Yuuko. The back of her head could be seen from the living room. "It's about ten minutes away from being finished. Then, I have to wait for it to cool down for a couple of minutes."

"Why is that?" asked Gatomon as she and Kari sat on a chair in the back of the room.

"While it's someone's perspective as to doing so or not, it's not usually a good idea to eat anything _immediately_ after it's cooked," said Kari while sitting on a chair. She put the soccer ball on the floor near the couch before sitting down. "If you do, you're likely to burn your mouth; so, you should always wait until it cools a little."

"Oh," said Gatomon with a nod and turned to Yuuko. "So, what are you making?"

_"__Soba,"_ was Yuuko's cheery reply.

_"__Soba?"_ wondered Gatomon.

"It's a form of pasta," answered Tai as he arrived in the living room.

"I see," replied Gatomon. "Looks like I still have a lot to learn," she mumbled with a chuckle.

"You're not alone," agreed Agumon after hearing what Gatomon said, and the two Digimon laughed.

As for Yuuko, she was stirring the _soba_ with a wooden spoon, so the pasta would not stick to the bottom of the pan.

_"__That shall do it,"_ she thought and put the wooden spoon down on the counter. She then looked at the timer on the microwave. There were only one-and-a-half minutes left before the pasta would become fully cooked. _"Now, I just have to wait for the timer to ring."_

She would not have to wait for long, because 90 seconds later…

_**BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!**_

…The clock hit "zero," and the timer rang. The _soba_ had finished cooking.

"Looks like the noodles are cooked," observed Tai as he and Agumon walked to chairs of their own.

"And at just the right time, too," said a new voice from the hall.

The Kamiya children and the Digimon jumped at the voice and turned to the dark hall. What they saw was the silhouette man in a black trench coat, a rarity in the warm springtime. While they could barely distinguish the body due to the dark hallway, they recognized the outline of the face and his voice easily. Their father, Susamu, had just arrived.

"Evening, Dad!" said Tai with a small wave of his left hand.

Kari responded with a "hi," too, and Gatomon jumped to the tabletop afterwards.

"Evening, kids," said Susamu as he approached the living room, his white shirt and black pants suiting him very well. He then veered to the kitchen and pecked his wife on the right cheek before looking down at the pot on the stove. "Smells good," he said enthusiastically. "What'cha making?"

"Some pasta, Dad," replied Kari while stroking Gatomon with her right hand.

_"__Soba,_ to be exact," explained Yuuko. "It should be ready in about a minute."

"Good, sweetie," said Susamu and sniffed longingly, "because I'm starving." And as he put his coat on an empty chair, he said, "I haven't had anything since breakfast."

Feeling curious (and questioning the queasy looks from Tai, Gatomon, and Kari), Agumon turned to male Kamiya parent. "What did you eat?" he wondered.

"Olive cookies with wasabi mixed in it," replied Susamu.

Tai, Kari, and Gatomon looked like they were green in the face after hearing what their father just said.

Agumon was curious by their reactions and scratched the back of his head with his right claw. "Why are you all acting like this?" he wondered.

"I'll explain later, bud," said Tai while whispering in Agumon's tiny left ear.

Even though her back was turned, Yuuko had a feeling what was going on and sighed. _"Another cooking experiment gone bad, I think,"_ she thought, feeling minutely disappointed. _"Oh, well."_ She grabbed a couple of potholders and carried the pot to the counter. She then let go of the main pot and lifted the strainer that was settled in it. After making sure she drained the pasta well, she dumped it in a big bowl, where a strainer-like basket called a _zaru_ sat in it. _"At least, they're gonna like this one,"_ she concluded with a smile. _"I hope."_

Once dinner was served, everyone was sitting on the table, and the table consisted of a variety of cuisines. The middle of the table consisted of the _zaru_ and the _soba_ that was placed on it. Around it were four small bowls of _udon,_ each topped with a little bit of green onions. For the two Digimon, each of their oval plates had huge amounts of seafood called _sashimi._ On the side were lots of sushi, shrimp, and two small cups of soy sauce to dip the food into.

Everyone gasped at the sight. There must have been a lot of preparation done with cooking with them.

"Talk about a lot of food," gasped Tai as he examined all the food on the table. He then looked at Yuuko, who sat on his left. "How long did it take you to cook all this?"

"Since eleven in the morning," replied Yuuko with a smile.

"Whoa," said Tai and looked at the _soba._ Wanting to have something to eat, he picked up his plate and used a serving spoon to put some of the pasta on the plate. He then grabbed a pair of chopsticks, twirled the glazed noodles up, and ate it. Once he swallowed it, his face brightened with a smile. "Very good," he said.

"Thanks," said Yuuko, and everyone else started eating.

As predicted, everyone did enjoy what he or she was given. The _soba_ and the sauce that was glazed over with tasted good. Every human enjoyed it, especially Susamu. After all, what would a spicy cookie he ate for breakfast do to his appetite?

What about the Digimon? They enjoyed their food just as much as the humans enjoyed theirs.

Agumon ate the _sashimi_ more than the others. He enjoyed the sushi, as well, but he had a personal preference as to which one he liked the most.

Gatomon's preference was otherwise. She _really_ loved the sushi. After all, what cat – from the Real or Digital World – would not want batches of fresh fish from the delicatessen? If she could, she would steal for seconds… if Agumon had not finished his course first.

As they were at the table, all the humans conversed about things, like work, faulty cooking experiments, and schoolwork. It was as noisy vocally as the folks always were.

Although they were by their side for several years, Gatomon and Agumon never stopped becoming puzzled at the noisy commotion that was presented before them. Sometimes, they wondered how they were able to cope with all of this.

"Good question," Agumon replied as he sat, crouch style, on the tabletop. Gatomon had asked that question a million times (and vice-versa), and there was still no solution.

_"__Maybe, it's a way to knock themselves out from ultimate boredom,"_ thought Gatomon, feeling very cross at the commotion, and yawned noisily to block it out. No avail, however, as it was just as exciting as before.

As she turned to Kari, she noticed that the Child of Light was eating a little more slowly than usual. While she was being polite as she usually was, she ate a lot more sparingly. The _udon_ soup was still sitting, untouched, and the glazed _soba_ was only half-eaten.

"Anything troubling, Kari?" asked Gatomon worryingly, temporarily ignoring the other humans.

Kari snapped out of it and turned to her partner beside her. "Mm-mm, it's nothing," the replied the thirteen-year-old and shook her head. "I'm just taking my time while the noodles cool." And she looked down at her plate again. What she said about the noodles was only _half_-true. Yes, Kari preferred eating food that were either lukewarm or cold, but she was thinking about something else. Something… awkward. It was a feeling that she had never felt before. And for some reason, it caused her cheeks to become slightly pink.

Gatomon noticed this and was concerned. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

Kari snapped out of it once more and gazed at her Digimon partner again. "Sorry, I was thinking about something."

"If you say so," said Gatomon skeptically and jumped down, where she would soon jump on Kari's bed and take a nap.

Kari continued eating, although the pink tint on her cheeks did not disappear until she finished her meal.

* * *

Due to her age, Kari was no longer using the bunk bed and was given a room of her own – the room closest to the balcony. On one side of the room, there was a queen-size bed, and it was covered with a pink sheet. Two fluffy pillows were smoothed out, and magenta pillowcases covered them. In addition, a lavender blanket draped over the mattress, looking clean and spotless. And Gatomon and Miko were both sleeping on the pillows. 

A shelf was placed on the far wall near the door. Several plastered and stuffed dolls lined from left to the center of the wall. A clothesline hung underneath, various pajamas dangling comfortably from the hangers. Opposite the bed, a dresser with four drawers sat there, looking spotless from wood polishing. A black-framed television was placed on top of the dresser, and the square-shaped remote control was placed in front of the television.

The door to Kari's room was open ajar, and it was a good thing, too, because of Miko and Gatomon sleeping on the bed. They would either have to walk, eat, and attend to other extracurricular activities during the night.

Speaking of Kari, at around eight o'clock that night, the light flickered on, and the door was slowly pushed opened. The female Kamiya child, after eating quietly for about an hour and a half, walked inside the room and softly sat down on the edge of her bed. Like before, her face showed confusion, but it showed worry, as well.

Although the plop was soft, it was enough to disturb Gatomon out of her sleep, and she perked her head up to see her partner's bewildered face. "Are you okay, Kari?" the Digimon asked as she got to her feet.

Kari turned to Gatomon on her right. "I'm fine, Gatomon," she replied nonchalantly.

Gatomon was skeptical. "Are you sure? Because your expression doesn't show that."

"Don't worry, Gatomon," said Kari persistently. "I'm fine."

Gatomon shrugged her front paws. "If you say so, Kari," she yawned and went back to sleep.

The moment Gatomon returned to sleep, Miko yawned her head off and raised her head. The little feline turned her attention towards her "Mistress," and she noticed Kari putting her left hand on her temple. The orange and white feline could sense something was up. She did not know what, but she could see it from her Mistress's posture.

Miko stretched to let the blood flow through her body, and she walked towards Kari, where she would rub Kari's dangling right hand and meow.

Kari, who was still rubbing her forehead, snapped out of it when she heard Miko's meow. "Hello, Miko," she greeted the cat and scratched behind her ears with her right hand. "Didn't recognize you waking up."

Miko gazed at Kari and gave a soft meow back, but she did not purr. Usually, whenever Kari – or anybody, for the matter – scratched "one of the spots," she would purr loudly and indefinitely. This time, she did not.

Kari noticed this. "Are you doing okay?" she asked.

"Don't worry, Kari," soothed Gatomon, maneuvering Kari's attention to the Digimon. No sooner than when she went back to sleep, Gatomon woke up again and noticed Miko's out-of-character action towards Kari. Unlike Kari, however, Gatomon understood the reason behind Miko's actions. "She's just concerned about you, that's all."

"She is?" asked Kari.

"That's right," answered Gatomon, and Miko meowed in agreement. "You've been acting strange since dinner, and we're concerned. What's going on?"

Kari shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."

"Not from how conservative you're acting," interjected Gatomon. "You don't really keep yourself too quiet than from your younger years, that's for sure." She then added in thought, _"Thank Miko for that."_

Kari turned her head away, dragged her left hand to her cheek, and said nothing.

Gatomon tried to look at her face, but her face was hiding in her left palm.

Miko had a feeling what was up and jumped down to the floor. She then walked to where she can see Kari's face. What she saw, she noticed that Kari's right cheek had a pink tint in it. Noticing this, the family cat jumped back on the bed and gave Gatomon a couple of meows, as if trying to communicate with her.

Sure enough, Gatomon got the message. "According to Miko, you have a crush on somebody."

Once she said that, Kari gasped and flinched. In addition, her cheeks became even redder.

Gatomon did not see the blush, but Kari's other reactions were enough proof for her.

"It looks like I was right, after all," said Gatomon slyly. "You _do _have a crush on someone, don't you?"

Kari flinched again, and her cheeks reddened even more.

"Again, just as predicted," said Gatomon slyly, and Miko meowed in agreement. "You can't hide it anymore, Kari, so you're going to have to tell sooner or later."

While the cooing was merely brief, it was enough for Kari to be driven "over the edge," so to speak. "Okay, Gatomon and Miko, you two win," she said exasperatedly and turned around to face them. Her cheeks were bright red out of embarrassment. "Yes, you are both right. I do have a crush on someone."

"On who, then?" asked Gatomon.

Kari sighed and revealed her secret. "On Mimi."

"On Mimi?" asked Gatomon.

"Mm-hmm," said Kari and turned away again, her face full of concern.

Gatomon spotted her face before she looked away again. She was no longer in any mood to be mischievous; besides, it would only upset Kari more. "How long have you had this crush on Mimi?"

"I have had it only recently," she replied as she looked back at her Digimon partner.

"Then, why are you concerned?"

Kari sighed. "Because she might end our friendship, that's why," she replied.

"And why would she end your mutual friendship with you?" asked Gatomon once again.

"Because she might think that my crush on her would gross her out," she said. Her response was flat, but it was full of concern, too.

"Oh," said Gatomon and drooped her ears. 

Miko felt sorry for Kari, also, and meowed sadly. She wanted to cheer her Mistress up, but how?

Of course! Why did she not think of this a few seconds ago? This was going to be the _perfect_ way to brighten Kari's spirits, and she was going to do that now.

Like before, she walked a few steps towards Kari, rubbed her head on her dangling right arm, and purred loudly.

Kari felt Miko rubbing her and looked at her cat. She smiled and, like before, stroked the back of her ears with the same right hand.

Gatomon smiled at Miko's actions and had a guess as to why she did that. "Apparently, Kari, she's telling you not to worry about this," the cat Digimon explained, earning Kari a small gasp. "And I have to agree with her all the way."

When Kari turned to Gatomon, the feline Digimon continued her say in the matter. "Mimi's your friend. She's not going to stop being friends with you, even if she doesn't have the same romantic feelings for you."

Miko, even though she was looking at Kari, heard her and meowed in agreement.

Kari had to smile at them for their actions. "Thanks, you two," the Child of Light said. "It made me feel better, although I do wonder when the right time will be for me to tell her that I fancy her."

Gatomon shrugged. "Whenever you feel comfortable," was her simple answer.

Nothing more was said as Kari changed into white pajamas, turned out the light, and went to sleep.

* * *

Sora's bedroom looked like a quiet, peaceful haven for anyone who preferred to have some time alone. Her bed was covered with a fluffy red quilt with designs of various birds on them. The same went for her two pillows. The bird designs stood out from the dark crimson pillow cover. Her clothes and pajamas were folded in various drawers in a dresser on the other side of the room. There were two lampposts in the room. One was near the dresser, the other was beside her bed; and they were both off, giving the room a dark presence. And the wooden floor was covered with a white carpet. Rightfully so, too – the wood was weathered and splintered, and the carpet was made thick so the splinters would not penetrate through the rug. 

That was all that was in Sora's room. But if that was all, then why was there a sleeping bag adjacent to Soa's bed? Hey, would it be polite to have a close friend sleep on the couch? Mimi was sleeping in the sleeping bag. The equipment was green, and it stood out (somewhat) in the middle of Sora's dark bedroom. She was sleepng peacefully, her head on a spare red pillow.

She would not be sleeping for very long, when her head started telling her to wake up. She tried to fight it, because she was feeling comfortable sleeping in that bag; but her conscience was persistent. It was not going to give up unless Mimi woke up and _stayed_ up.

Finally, the Child of Sincerity gave in to her conscience, and she opened her eyes. Ironically, waking up was easier than usual; the eyelids were not heavy, meaning that she was ready for a completely new day. She yawned widely but quietly and sat up, exposing the pink pajama shirt and pants that she borrowed from Sora.

Mimi yawned and rubbed her eyes with her right hand. She stood up and walked to the lamppost next to Sora's bed. When she turned it on, she noticed that Sora, Biyomon, and Palmon were not there. _"Where did they go?"_ she thought before noticing a small note on Sora's blanket. Mimi picked it up with her right hand and read it. A smile quickly etched on her face. "Looks like I'll visit Sora soon," she said to herself and folded the note up like it was a scroll.

She then changed into her usual clothes, turned off the light, and walked to the living room, where she saw a usual comrade.

"Good morning, Mimi," greeted Palmon as she held a bottle of mineral water in her left hand. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up."

Mimi looked at the clock on the Video Cassette Recorder, which read "9:00 AM" on the bar. "Indeed," she replied with a smile and sat down beside her.

Palmon noticed the paper in Mimi's left hand. "What's that piece of paper in your hand, Mimi?" she asked.

Mimi looked at the paper and unfurled it. "It's just Sora telling me that she's in her flower shop downstairs," the Tachikawa child said. The paper had this message in it: _"Mimi, if you're wondering where Biyomon and I will be, we'll be down at the flower shop. And is it okay if you can come down a little after you wake up? Hope to see you soon, Sora."_

Palmon read the message from top to bottom. "I remember Sora telling me that. It happened about a half-hour before you woke up."

Mimi folded the paper once more. "Well, there's some time to kill before I'm on my way," she said and stood up. "Wanna come to the flower shop, too?" she asked at Palmon's direction.

Palmon nodded in response, and moments later, the duo packed their things and went to the Takenouchi Flower Shop, which was located near the apartment complex.

Like every flower shop, it was just as colorful and beautiful. In the front of the shop, the words "Takenouchi Flower Shop" were translated in the usual Japanese alphabet, and the sign was blinking in a gorgeous ruby red color. The front had three glass panes on them. One was for the door (which was in the center), and two were for the sides. But the sign nor the windows were not the main part of the shop, the _flowers_ were what the store was about. Behind the two glass windows, flowers of all kinds sat there, absorbing as much sunlight and warmth as they could… for the time being.

Mimi had exited the apartment complex and walked about 100 yards to her left, where she found herself in front of the shop. Clearing her throat, she went to the door and pushed it open. The bell that hung from above rang the moment the doorframe hit it.

"Coming!" called a familiar female voice from the background.

The background consisted of, of all things, a wooden desk. A cash register sat on the right, and the word "Takenouchi" – translated in the Japanese alphabet – was engraved on a black nameplate in front of the desk. It was like an office desk, except it was transferred to a flower shop.

Like most flower shops, the back also had flowers. Various types of ivy, cacti, and night flowers hung in several areas of the ceiling. Although Mimi could not tell by their actions, she had a feeling that the hanging plants were happy right now.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" called the same voice once again. The person stepped through the door behind the desk and in its place was Sora. She was wearing a brown long-sleeve shirt, black pants, and white shoes. On her head was a crown made out of the petals of white cherry blossoms.

"Hi, Sora," said Mimi and walked towards her. She then looked at the crown of flowers on her head. "Nice headwear you have on your head," she added and pointed at the crown with her right hand. She had never seen one of those before, so she did not know what to say about the flower crown.

Sora gave a quick glance above before explaining to Mimi. "This is just a crown of flowers. I just used various cherry blossom leaves that I found in the park and made a crown out of them."

"I see," said Mimi and scratched her chin while looking at it.

"You made them, you said?" asked Palmon as she walked to Mimi's side. The plant Digimon looked at the flowers near the windows while Mimi glanced at the plants that hung from the ceiling.

"That's right, Palmon," replied Biyomon as she walked next to Sora. "She found them, washed them up, then made a crown out of them."

"Wow," replied Palmon.

"I made a few more, if you're wondering," interrupted Sora politely, veering Mimi's and Palmon's attention from the crown. "I'll show you after we're finished placing the flowers and plants outside. That is… if you don't mind helping out."

Mimi shook her head. "Of course we don't mind. Besides, we could kill a little bit of time right now."

Sora and Biyomon smiled at Mimi's acceptance, and one minute later, the four were placing flowers outside the shop and onto various pedestals.

"Whew!" Mimi panted and wiped the sweat off her forehead with her left hand. "I never knew that rearranging flowers would be hard work."

"Tell Mom about that," retorted Sora, wiping sweat off her own forehead. "She's used to this."

They had worked in the flower shop for what seemed like an hour. Picking up the vases were painstaking for the four, especially Mimi. She was not used to carrying heavy objects, and the transferring of the vases made her physically exhausted.

It was not easy for the others, either. Sora might be the strongest, but she also sweated her head off from carrying the heavy vases. Not to mention she, Mimi, and the Digimon did the best they could to water the flowers and plants so that they would not dry off and die.

"Well, the best thing is that we're finished," sighed Palmon and sat on the floor near the desk.

"Yeah, until the customers arrive," countered Biyomon and sighed. "Man, my wings are tired."

"We all are," agreed Sora as she and Mimi walked to the Digimon by the office desk. "Do you want some water? I have some in a refrigerator in the back."

The others did not object to Sora's offer.

Sora grinned and walked to the back. A minute later, she arrived holding four paper cups in her left hand and a wine-shaped glass bottle of spring water in the other. "Here you go," Sora said as she poured equal amounts of cold water in each cup.

"Thanks, Sora," said Mimi and took one of the cups.

Everyone else took their own water and had a drink or two. Heavens, did the water _ever_ refresh them, and at a time as perfect as it was right now. Suffice it to say, Sora's timing was perfect.

"Much better," said Mimi after finishing her drink of water.

"I agree," said Palmon, who finished her own glass. She turned to Sora, who finished her one and only glass. "May I have another one?"

Sora nodded with a happy hum and poured more water in Palmon's paper cup.

"Thanks," said Palmon and resumed drinking.

Once she did, Biyomon tapped Sora's elbow. "May I have more water, too, please?" she asked.

Sora did just that, and the bird Digimon continued drinking.

As the Digimon drank the water, Sora put the bottle down on the desk and put the cork on it.

That was when Mimi thought of something. "Yesterday, when you and I had our talk about my crush on Kari, you said that I should tell Kari about my crush on her whenever I'm ready, right?"

Sora nodded.

"Well, although I'm not _totally_ ready, I like to give her a present… just in case," said Mimi, trying to word her sentence correctly.

Sora understood what Mimi was talking about and nodded with a smile. "So, what would like to have?"

Mimi looked at the flower crown on Sora's head as a result. "If you have two similar flower crowns, I wouldn't mind having those."

Sora shook head. "Not at all, Mimi," she said and walked to the back once again. She returned one minute later, holding two flower crowns in her left hand.

The sight of the crowns made Mimi gasp. They looked beautiful, she had thought.

Sora detected her thoughts immediately. "You like them, don't you?"

Mimi replied with a nod.

"Good, because they will cost you 350 Yen."

"WHAT?" thundered Mimi. To think that her _friend_ would make her pay for the things she wanted infuriated her. How could she do something like that? Mimi was cross, _very_ cross.

To Mimi's surprise, though, Sora wound up laughing from her shocked yell. "I'm just kidding, Mimi," the Takenouchi child chuckled. "Here, you can have them." And she handed the crowns to Mimi.

"Thank heavens," sighed Mimi and accepted the offering, feeling much better after the initial shock moments ago. "I thought I was gonna have to pay for it."

Sora decided not to respond to Mimi's quip and semi-changed the subject. "So, you want to give one of them to Kari, right?"

"Yes," nodded Mimi and carefully put the crowns in her bag. "Whenever I feel fully confident – and if Kari has the feelings as I do – I will give Kari a crown as a present."

"How sweet," said Sora.

"It's the best that I can do," replied Mimi. Then, she thought of something. "Do you know what time it is?"

Sora looked at her watch on her left wrist. "It's about 10:30," she said and looked at Mimi again. "Why did you ask?"

"Because I'm hoping that Kari's home, and that she can meet me in an area, like a restaurant or something," said Mimi and took out her cellular phone.

"Very nice of you to do that," said Palmon, who finished her drink of water about a minute ago and was fully intent on listening to the conversation between the two humans.

"Thanks, Palmon," said Mimi as she dialed the phone number to the Kamiya household and put the receiver next to her left ear.

After two dial tones, she received her answer. "Hello?" Mimi asked. "Hi, Mrs. Kamiya! I'm wondering if I can talk to Kari for a second, please." A moment later, the Child of Sincerity's face looked serious. "Oh. Thanks, Mrs. Kamiya. Bye." She closed the lid of her phone. "Kari and Gatomon left about a half-hour ago to do some shopping for Miko," she announced and sighed.

"But you can still bump into her along the way, right?" asked Biyomon; she just finished drinking her own glass of water, as well.

Mimi put her left hand on her chin. "I didn't think of that, Biyomon," she said.

"Then, that means you still have a chance of seeing her," encouraged Sora and put her cup in a garbage pail near the desk.

Mimi's spirits brightened considerably. "You're right, you two. There is still a chance that I could see her." She grinned as she grabbed her shopping bag and got to her feet. "Well, I best be on my way." She put her cup in another pail near her own chair and turned to Palmon next to her. "Are you ready, Palmon?"

"I'm ready when you are," replied Palmon and leapt to her feet.

The two said "good-bye" to Sora and Biyomon, and they left the shop.

Mimi and Palmon turned left after exiting the shop and walked down a quiet city street. Well, it was as quiet as any of the streets to a marketplace. Cars bustled down the pavement, and people of all sizes and ages walked up and down the sidewalks.

"So, where are we going, Mimi?" asked Palmon while looking at Mimi.

"Well, I plan on going to Aqua City today," replied Mimi.

"Why?" asked Palmon.

"Well, one reason is that I wanna buy more thread for sewing," Mimi answered and took a peak at her embroidery hoop in her shopping bag. Despite its obscurity, she could see the design, or designs, on it. Before going to bed last night, after telling the two Digimon about her crush on Kari (hence their acknowledgement about it), she decided to do some work on her secret project. So far, her schedule was going according to plan; if not, a little more: In the span of 90 minutes, she completed about one-seventh of her project.

"You're quite eager on finishing your project, aren't you?"

"Mm-hmm," nodded Mimi as she looked at Palmon on her right. "And I hope to finish it soon."

"If you need help, I don't mind," replied Palmon, eager to help.

"I wouldn't mind that at all," said Mimi.

After a "thank you" from her partner, Mimi looked ahead. _"Not to mention,"_ she thought, _"there may be a small chance that Kari might be there."_

But as she walked a little further, her chance came sooner than expected.

**_To be continued…

* * *

_**_Did you like it? If you did, read and review to tell me. No flames, please, and I'll see you next time.  
_


	3. Along the Way

_**Disclaimer:**__ Digimon is copyrighted by Akiyoshi Hongo and produced by Disney, Toei Animation, and Bandai. Only the story and O.C.s are mine, and I don't seek profit with this story or in my other fanfiction projects._

_**Author's Note:**__ Well, it took a while, but I'm finally updating this story. There's such great potential that I can't let this idea die!_

_There's also an O.C. in this chapter, and I plan on making her a very important character in this story. How? You'll have to find out.

* * *

_

**Clear as Crystal**

**Along the Way**

"Mimi? Palmon?"

The two perked their heads up. The voice… Something about it was familiar. The sweet and curious tone from a possible close one.

_But where?_

They looked ahead.

"Izanami!"

Mimi called out and ran to a bus stop a hundred yards away; a young girl of about sixteen years old stood by the pole. At about the same height as Mimi, she showed a gorgeous and nicely developed physique: nice curves, slender legs and arms, and a mature face. Waist-length, silky brown hair blew in the zephyr and draped across her white sleeveless dress, and a bang covered her right eye. Finally, over her eyes were black-colored glasses with a wire frame that matched its color.

Mimi caught up with Izanami and gave her a tight hug that was returned.

"Hi, Izanami," said Mimi when they broke their hug.

"Hi, Mimi," said Izanami in a mature voice and looked down. "Hi, Palmon."

Palmon waved back.

"So, how are you two doing today?" asked Izanami.

"Doing good," replied Mimi. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking _you_ that," quipped Izanami. "Don't you live on the other side of the island?"

"We slept over at Sora's house," replied Mimi.

"Ah, Sora. I remember her," said Izanami. "How's she doing?"

"She's running the family flower shop today," said Palmon and grimaced. "Ow."

"Are you okay, Palmon?" Izanami asked, looking down.

"Fine." Palmon bent over, attempting to touch her toes with her ivy fingers. "My back hurts from carrying the vases."

"Ouch," said Izanami.

"Tell me about it," replied Palmon as she continued stretching.

Izanami turned to Mimi. "I think Palmon needs a back message."

"Me, too," said Mimi. "Maybe we'll find one in Aqua City."

"Aqua City? You're going there today?"

"Yeah," answered Mimi. "We're traveling to the mall today to shop."

"For what?"

Mimi opened her shopping bag, exposing her embroidery hoop.

"I need more colors to complete this."

"Oh." Izanami looked at it with interest. "What do you plan with it?"

"Can't tell ya," said Mimi. "It's a secret."

"Shoot, I wanted to know."

"Can't, sorry," said Mimi and shook her head.

"Pleeeaase?"

Mimi laughed and toyed with one of Izanami's strands of hair. "Sorry, not this time."

Izanami snapped her fingers and then wagged her finger playfully at her friend. "Next time, I'll know, I swear."

Palmon laughed at the funny exchange. "Well, Izanami, that's Mimi to ya."

"Totally," agreed Izanami.

"So, Izanami, where are you going?" asked Palmon.

Izanami held up a white bag in her left hand. "I'm going to a painting studio and continue working on a big project."

"What kind of project?" asked Mimi.

"Don't remember the term, but the painting's sketchy and flat, similar to one of Monet's masterpieces."

"Impressionism?" Mimi said.

"Yeah, that's it. Impressionism."

"So, what's in your bag?" asked Palmon.

"Not much," answered Izanami and widened the opening. "Some painting brushes, oil paint, palette knives, and old rags. I have more of this in the studio."

"How long do these paintings take to finish?" asked Palmon curiously.

"Depends on the pace, research, canvas, and paint, really," Izanami said. "If I had t'put in a number, about three to six months. And that doesn't include the drying-off period."

Palmon gasped. "Wow, that's a long time."

"People've done longer than that," said Izanami. "Don't remember who, though."

Mimi cut in. "So when's your bus gonna arrive?"

Izanami checked her watch. "About five minutes…if it doesn't arrive late like it usually does."

Mimi looked at the tall green bus pole and focused her brown eyes on the schedule plate located at eye-level. According to the plate, three routes were scheduled to stop here: the 100, 57, and 88.

"Izanami, which route are you taking?" asked the DigiDestined.

"The 57."

Mimi grinned devilishly.

"It passes Aqua City, doesn't it?"

"Mm-hmm."

The DigiDestined of Sincerity's grin widened.

"Can I join you?"

"Why'd you ask that question?" quipped Izanami. "Of course!"

Mimi turned to Palmon, her smile a stain on her face.

* * *

The low-floor bus glided down the avenues of Odaiba, turning on corners and picking up passengers along its route. Inside, the bus was half-empty, with most of the occupants sitting in the front. Due to it being low-floor, the bus had little standing room, the pathway narrow from the big seats and the wheel covers in both the front and back. Big windows towered the sides, its bottom frame at eye-level of those sitting and the top near the curved ceiling. On the right were single seats, and pairs were opposite. A gray wall curved over the yellow line, blocking the passengers' view of the operator. Twin rear retractable doors were located in the middle, dividing the front and half ends.

The back end had a small ascending staircase. Instead of facing forward, the rows of seats faced each other, displaying a change of design, like some of those other hybrids around the gigantic city.

Izanami, Mimi, and Palmon decided to sit in the near-empty back, but not much conversation occurred on Mimi's side. As Palmon and Izanami talked about things like Digimon and painting, the DigiDestined of Sincerity focused her thoughts elsewhere.

_Focus…_

Bah! Not this case. Little focus when riding on a bus that hopped and lunged constantly. A growl from her tummy— Not comfortable at all.

_Bump…_

Thank goodness she didn't eat a big breakfast…

But…

_C'mon, Mimi. Think._

How, though?

A tingle on the chest…

Mimi looked down at herself, reached inside her shirt, and took out a replica of the old Crest of Sincerity that hung around her neck. Rather than a replaceable string, a gold chain attached to the matching pendant. In the middle of her pendent, the Digimon's symbol of "Sincerity" was etched inside a light green gemstone.

How quaint for her to be holding this again…and possibly reminding herself again of the symbol that stapled her life since her adventures in the Digital World. How much she loved it and hated it.

A guide… Some way to help her, maybe?

She caressed the carving, carefully eyeing the details of the pendant and her precious gem. Each move of her finger touched each special stamp and carve of her pendant, and her brown eyes dazzled by her jewel. Precious. Lovely. Care to the touch. There was nothing like it.

"Precious" and "lovely." Fitting words to describe herself and those who she cared. And it felt so _light_ around her neck, too…

_Light. Kari._

She fondled with the redesigned Crest even more gingerly.

That crush…for Kari.

Steadily remaining like calm waters. Not going away, but not ravaging.

But where could she be?

_Hopefully Aqua City._

That would be determined once Mimi got there…

That is if Kari and Gatomon decided to go there today.

* * *

The bus screeched to a halt; its doors opened.

"Good luck with your painting, Izanami," said Mimi.

"See you soon," said Izanami.

A round of "good-byes" later, Mimi and Palmon walked out the back door and onto the sidewalk.

The area was an absolute _mess_!

Due to construction work, only two lanes were open: the bus lane and the general one beside it. Long sections of sidewalks were boarded off with tall blue slabs of wooden panels. Almost each one had "No Billboards Please" written in Japanese kanji, but nonetheless, various posters were slapped onto them, indicating a quick, haphazard sense. These vandals never ceased to amaze themselves with stains on top of these construction panels, didn't they? And many of the panels were enclosed underneath construction scaffolds, the ceiling supported by bars and wooden stumps underneath the poles. Small incandescent light bulbs hung in columns and in the center of the ceiling.

Palmon shivered. Little light, little air aside from the past dust that settled during the construction process. The walking plant turned her head as many ways as possible, green eyes glittering from the lightbulbs. Her wide mouth remained agape as she and Mimi journeyed their way through the nasty site.

…The little light. No daylight. Just wasteful bulbs that dangled on the ceiling… Palmon continued to look about; perspiration dripped down from her flower leaves on top and down the sides of her head. Toes touched the ground quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace.

_Gulp…_

But the peace she did not yearn for. Not here. Anywhere but here. Especially with the major God she couldn't see hovering above her.

No more…

They turned left and walked down another corridor. The ground sloped downward, and the whole area was enclosed; the only light from outside came from a netted opening in front.

Palmon gulped. The more she walked, the more she disliked this place. She wanted to get out of here and fast.

Mimi looked back slightly, noticing Palmon's sense of urgency. Something was wrong, but she did not know what. Yet, she did not want to find out, so she quickened her pace. Palmon noticed the changed and swiftly followed. Then, like a jolt of lightning, they turned right and walked down another boarded corridor.

Suddenly, a light appeared at the other end.

Sunlight.

Sighing in relief, they walked out of the corridor and out from underneath the scaffolding.

Despite not running, Palmon lightly panted. Construction corridors… Enclosed, dark, and spooky. A complete _bane_ of her existence.

Quickly shifting her plant-like head around, the Digimon gawked at the structure towering her. A tall crane—approximately six stories high—rested in the area of the "U" corridor, its cab turning here and there to get all the metal into place. The rest of the building was covered up with black and white mesh and construction levels.

Unbeknowst to her, Mimi kept walking along, thinking, this time calmly after being under the spooky corridor. But when she stopped hearing the familiar soft plodding of her Digimon walking, her eyes widened slightly.

"Palmon?" Her brown locks whipped softly in the breeze; the DigiDestined's head turned here and there to find her partner.

At last, she looked back.

Palmon stood there, frozen, head looking up.

Mimi followed her gaze and watched the menacing God-like crane work hard on rebuilding the TV station.

"After so many years," she heard the Digimon murmur.

Mimi nodded in agreement and replied softly, "So much destruction. Hard to remember it was only five years ago."

She walked back to Palmon and bent down.

"Mimi…you remember…?"

The girl nodded. "Everyday."

A warm summer, but a cold and deadly battle.

Mimi shuddered; her unused left hand wandered to the outline of her remodeled Crest inside of her sleeveless white v-neck.

Five years…

_And still not done._

She turned back and noticed another building being constructed, courtesy of the nasty battle against Myotismon and his Mega-Digivolution.

Pain entered Mimi's heart. "So much destruction."

And only happened five years ago.

_Time flies. Too quick._

She closed her eyes. The sounds of crashing metal, concrete, and yells swirled in her head. Sympathy and compassion entered her conscience. The hell everyone had to endure during that war between the evil Digimon and DigiDestined. One she hoped to never experience again.

"The memories still linger, don't they?"

They gasped and turned around.

Gatomon.

"Hey, Gatomon!" responded Palmon. "Yeah, me, too. I remember everything."

"I know," said Gatomon, eyes furrowed. "And I was right in the middle."

She flexed her right claws and curled it into a tight fist.

"Myotismon, you son of a BITCH!"

Mimi and Palmon cringed at the unusual menacing language.

Gatomon, though, couldn't bear to say anymore and instead growled and softly cried.

Mimi and Palmon looked at each other, solemn looks on their faces.

The girl never let go of her Crest… If Kari heard her, hopefully, she didn't let go of her replica, either.

She looked at Gatomon with a remorseful expression on her gentle face. The cat softly cried, growled, and cursed out Myotismon's name. The pain he caused was unbearable, and she did not want to see that, especially in Gatomon and the strong will she usually carried. She had to do something.

At last, she let go of her Crest.

And then she lunged and hugged Gatomon.

"It's okay, Gatomon," reassured Mimi and caressed the cat's head. "Myotismon's gone. You won't see him again."

"He better not," choked Gatomon, tears clogged in her brilliant blue eyes.

Palmon put her palm on her fist in reassurance.

"Don't worry, Gatomon," she soothed.

Gatomon breathed a couple of times and closed her eyes, allowing the tears to flow down her cheeks. The scars that scum of a Digimon caused throughout Odaiba still lingered in her, Mimi, Palmon, and most definitely everyone.

Mimi let go of her embrace, and she looked up at the crane. "We should go."

The Digimon nodded and walked away, leaving the sacred battlefield alone for the cranes to destroy over.

* * *

"So where's Kari, Gatomon?" asked Mimi as they continued to walk around the detour. The area to go straight to Aqua City was still boarded off, but they were along the other side of the street out of respect.

"Kari's in Aqua City now," the cat replied, calm again.

The Tachikawa child beamed lowly.

_My luck…_

"But why isn't she with you?" asked Palmon.

"The security kicked me out," said Gatomon. "They told me 'No cats allowed, real or Digimon.'"

Mimi hummed softly. "So is Palmon allowed in?"

"I don't know, Mimi," was her reply. "But Kari told me to stay in the area until she left Aqua City. She'll call me through her whistle once she's left."

"Whistle?" queried Palmon.

"Yeah, one of those special whistles, similar to one of those dog whistles," answered Gatomon. "But it was designed specifically for feline Digimon like myself. Don't ask me how we got that. It's a tougher concept to understand than sharing Miko's litter box."

"I'd rather not know _that_," retorted Palmon.

Gatomon rubbed her left ear with a claw and grimaced, "If only that sound can stay out of my ears…"

A light turned green; the trio crossed at a corner. Passing the construction site, they continued walking and conversing, their minds staying away from the chaos caused from the Digimon Massacre, as dubbed by reporters and politicians. As they temporarily ignored their surroundings, cars whizzed and honked by, leaving a trail of sound pollution. Lights changed, people walked. All familiar sightings of the Aqua City area that was near by—

"So which section is she going to, Gatomon?" asked Mimi.

"Not sure. The sports section and supermarket, perhaps," replied Gatomon. "Miko needs cat food."

"So how long will Kari be in Aqua City?" wondered Mimi.

"Until about 12:30."

They kept on walking, ignoring the passersby.

At last, they arrived.

The Aqua City mall stretched four avenues down, about as long as the old adjacent Fuji TV station. Instead of being very tall, though, it was only six stories high, and it was divided into several sections according to cement color: red on one end, green on another, and many other areas white, orange, or yellow. The rooftop hosted a parking lot that they could not view, thanks to the high wall surrounding the edges of the mall. Rows of black windows surrounded the structure, displaying the sense of available floors. A gate before them arched up and displayed a big "AQUA CITY ODAIBA" sign with a light blue color and in the Futura typeface.

"Hold up, you three," a policeman said once the three showed up at the gate.

"What's going on, officer?" asked Mimi.

"Your pets are not allowed in the mall," he replied gruffly.

"PETS!?" Gatomon shouted, wanting to jump at the officer; Mimi held her back by standing in front of her.

"We are not pets," agreed Palmon crossly. "We're Digimon."

"Sorry, but rules are rules," said the officer with a shake of his head. "Your 'Digimon' pets are forbidden to enter here. Now, you two, go."

"Only once you stop calling us 'pets,'" seethed Palmon, claws on her green hips. "We deserve respect, too."

"Tell that to the government," replied the officer in a warning voice. "Now get. You're all blocking the entrance."

The Digimon sighed in defeat. There was nothing to be done.

Mimi looked on sadly, and they walked to the side to allow more people to enter.

"Don't worry about us, Mimi," said Palmon. "We'll wait outside. You get your stuff."

"You'll be fine alone?" asked Mimi. "I can't contact you."

"Mimi," said Palmon, "we've known each other for five years. Of course, we'll be fine."

"And I'll be right with her," promised Gatomon.

Mimi puffed up her cheeks, uncertain.

A loud exhale followed.

"Okay," she said and checked her watch. "It's 10:30. I'll be gone for about two to four hours. Palmon, if you don't see me after at least couple of hours, meet me by the ice cream shop."

She took off her metal watch and put it on Palmon's left wrist.

"Or I could just digivolve to Togemon," quipped Palmon with a wink.

"Makes sense," laughed Mimi and took out her wallet. "Here's some money in case either of you get hungry."

She handed a few yen banknotes to the Digimon. A couple of goodbyes later, the Digimon disappeared into the horde, laughing loudly.

Once the trace of Digimon vanished, Mimi took out her Digivice that was inside her purse and read the time to check if it was accurate. Once more, it read 10:30 AM.

Two hours from now. That wasn't a lot of time for her to shop. Four, though… For a place as big as Aqua City, that might not be a lot of time, either. But of course, she made no guarantee. Thankfully, Togemon or their rendezvous could take care of the job.

She eyed the embroidery hoop inside her bag. The design and sewing string were still attached and so were the crown of flowers. So far, so good. And Kari was there—that was even _better_.

She checked her wallet. _Good, I've got enough,_ she thought.

"Looks like I'm prepared."

Packing everything up, she walked back to the gate and allowed the officer to carefully inspect her bag.

"Good," he said. "Follow that way to get further inspected." He pointed at a guard with a metal detector on the right about fifty feet away.

She walked to the officer and got her body checked out. There were only two beeps, but came only from the Crest and Digivice.

"All clear," nodded the officer.

_Yes!_ cheered Mimi in thought and walked to one of the spinning doors that led to Aqua City's entrance.

Once she entered the mall, her journey to find Kari truly began.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**__ After __**four years**__, I finally updated this story. I actually wrote a chapter of this out a while back, but I thought it spilled too much detail in the beginning, and I didn't like the way I wrote the characters and their voices, especially Izanami Hiyabani (my O.C.). Hopefully, this improves them and Izanami a little._

_I also had to reread my previous stories and ones from other users (like my friends, BenignUser and The Analyzer, or Lord Archive) just to get a bit more of an understanding with Japanese culture again. For I haven't written something from this story for about four years, I forgot some details. But I also didn't want to look silly by importing American culture blindly into a setting where people see and do things differently than myself, so I reread and researched a bit more off-site, too, to back things up better. Now I think I'm back on track and am getting ideas again._

_It's no three-chapter story now. There will be more chapters…once I stop procrastinating and have more time._

_Dang you, my advertising major…!  
_


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